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Pierre Moscovici, the bloc's economy commissioner, said the downward revision "reflects the impact on confidence of trade tensions and policy uncertainty."

"A further escalation of protectionist measures is a clear downside risk," he warned. "Trade wars produce no winners, only casualties."

EU growth reached 2.4 percent in 2017, the fastest expansion in a decade.

The United States and European Union have one of the biggest trading relationships in the world, worth over $1.1 trillion a year. But the prospect of a global trade war has hurt business confidence.

President Donald Trump has put tariffs on billions worth of imported steel and aluminum. That has sparked retaliatory action from the European Union and other major U.S. trading partners, including Canada and Mexico.

The next front in the trade conflict could be cars. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs of 20 percent on European auto exports to the United States.

Moscovici also warned that higher energy costs — pushed up by rising oil prices — are expected to dampen growth in Europe.

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